Wesley Corpus

On these the Lord his wrath shall shew, And give them to the waster's power Stir up the fierce invading foe, Their goods and houses to devour: Houses they shall for others build, And sow, but never reap the field. For lo! The Lord's great day is near, Is near and swiftly hastens on, The mighty men shall cry for fear And anguish while his wrath comes down, While God the sacred panick darts And speaks in thunder to their hearts. Page 53 Who can that awful day declare? A day of trouble and distress, A day of raging wasteful war, Of darkness, clouds and gloominess, A day to join th' embattled powers, And storm the forts, and shake the towers. The Lord shall bring a sudden snare, The wicked by his judgments blind, Because his utmost plagues they dare They here their punishment shall find, Their blood shall be as dust pour'd forth, Their carcasses shall dung the earth. Not all their treasures shall redeem Their lives in that tremendous day, When God's great jealousy shall flame Vindictive, and devour its prey, The land where in their sins they dwell Burn up, burn after them to hell. Turn then to God, ye sinners turn, Let every heart at once relent, The whole devoted nation mourn, By general grief the curse prevent, In penitential sorrow join, And deprecate the wrath divine. Repent before the dire decree Bring forth the irrevocable doom; Before the day as chaff ye see Pass by; before the vengeance come; Before the Lord let loose his ire, And make you fewel to the fire. Or if the wicked will not hear, Ye humble souls that keep his word, Ye meek ones of the earth, revere, And seek with double zeal your Lord, Walk on in all his righteous ways, And labour for the perfect grace. Page 54 It may be God, the God ye love Will hide you in his anger's day, Far off from you the sword remove Or if it sweeps your lives away, Your souls with swifter motion driven Shall in a whirlwind fly to heaven. O God, thy righteousness we own, Laid by thy threatning judgments low, Beneath a nation's load we groan, And more than share the common woe, The common woe, so long delay'd Which bursts in thunder on our head.